of paterson



Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUDOLPH BOEHRINGER, OFIPATERSON, AN'D HANS WOLF, OF HAWTHORNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TOMUNITEX CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A

. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY raoonss or mmumzme THREADS No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process of immunizing threads formed fromvegetable fibers, such as cotton and regenerated cellulose (nitro,cupraminonium and viscose) and the like against the usual cotton dyes,such as substantive dyes, vat dyes, sulfur dyes and the like, and moreespecially it relates tov a process of immunizing said threads inpackage form, such as cops, cones, cakes, cheeses, warp threads wound onbeams and the like.

In the manufacture of threads formed from cotton, cuprammonium celluloseor viscose, the thread is formed in packages havinghollow centers formedwith or without pervious supports. vPrior to this invention when it wasdesired to immunize such threads, it was necessary to unwind the threadof the package and form it into skeins or hanks, and in this conditionsubject it to the various reagents used in the process. After theimmunizing treatment had been completed, it was, necessary to rewind orspool the skeins or hanks into packages so as to render them capable ofuse in subsequent weaving or knitting operations. This process involvedthe unwinding or rewinding of the packages, which, of course, wasexpensive and time consuming. It was also found that during the processof immunizing the skeins of threads, due to the loose arrangement, thethreads shrank considerably. We have found that we can eliminate theunwinding and rewinding operations and considerably lessen the amount ofshrinkage by immunizing the threads in package form. The method by whichwe attain these results comprises esterifying and washing under pressurepackages of thread previously treated with an alkaliz-. ing medium.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide amethod ofimmunizing threads formed from vegetable fibers, such as cotton andregenerated cellulose (nitro, cuprammonium and viscose) without anyunwinding or rewinding and lessening the amount of shrinkage of thethreads.

Another object of this invention is to immunize packages of thread.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method which comprisesesterifying Application filed October 22, 1928. Serial No. 314,814.

and washing packages of thread under pressure.

Further objects will appear from the following description and appendedclaims.

In carrying out this invention cops of thread, the center of whichcomprises a pervious member such as a hollow porous tube or a helicalcoiled member disposed within a porous flexible sleeve and maintainingsaid sleeve in a distended condition, are sub ected to an alkalizingmedium, preferably by submerging them in a bath of the alkalizing mediumand maintaining them therein until the surface of the thread has beenalkalized. The cops are then removed from the bath and the excessalkalizing medium removed in any suitable manner, such as by whizzing ina. centrifuge. The alkalized cops are then mounted in a machine whereinthe esterifyng agent is supplied under pressure to the interior of thehollow pervious center of the cop. The application of the esterifyingagent under pressure to the pervious member forces it radially outwardfrom the walls of -;the pervious member and causes it to penetrate andpermeate the mass which surrounds the said pervious member. Thistreatment is continued until the alkalized threads are esterified. Ifdesired, the above treatment may be reversed, that is, the rea ent maybe forced from the outer surface 0% the cop to the interior thereof, thepervious member functioning as an overflow. In other cases the reagentmay be forced outward through the cop and then drawn back again throughthe cop by suction. The excess of the esterifying agent is then removedin any suitable manner, such as by whizzing and the like. After theremoval of the excess esterifying agent, the cop is washed with soapsolutions and/or water in a manner similar to the application of theesterifying agent. In other Words, the esterified cop is washed with asolution supplied to the cop center under pressure, as above described.The thus immunized thread is centrifuged whereby the excess washingliquid is removed and finally the cop dried.

In the above process the treatment of a single cop is described. Ifdesired, a plurality of cops may be treated simultaneously. Inimmunizing a plurality of cops simultaneously, the cops are treated withan alkalizing medium as above-described. After the removal of the excessof the alkalizin medium, a plurality of the cops are arranged in amachine -end to end, the pervious members of the cops registering witheach other and forming a channel, one end of which is connected topressure means for supplying the esterifying agent. The other end isclosed, whereby the esterifying agent is caused to radiate from thechannel through the cops. In this arrangement of cops it is essentialthat the hollow pervious members of the cops register with each otherand water-tight joints be formed between the individual cops.

After the cops have been esterified, they are removed from the machineand the excess reagent removed. The cops are then again mounted in themachine end to end, as above described, and washed, the washing liquidbeing su plied under pressure to the channel formed y thecop centers.The cops are then removed from the machine and, after centrifuging toremove the excess washing liquid, the cops are dried in any well-knownmanner.

Instead of carrying out the process as above-described, the process maybe carried out in a machine which permits centrifuging of thecops, thuseliminating the removal and remounting of the cops after the varioussteps. Also instead of supplyin the esterifyin agent and washing liquito the channe formed by the cop centers, they may be supplied to theouter surface of the cop and forced through the windings thereof bymeansof pressure, the channel formed by the cop centers serving as anoverflow. If desired, the esterifying a cut may be alternately forcedoutward through the cop and then drawn back again by suction. Anothermanner of carrying out the method constituting this invention comprisesmounting a plurality of cops of thread on a plurality of perforatedspindles extending from a hollow carrier. In this method the reagent andwashing liquids are supplied underpressure to the hoilow carrier,whereby they are forced through the perforated spindles and radiallythrough the cops and/or drawn back through the cops by suction in amanner similar to that explained above. The sequence of steps in thisprocedure is similar to that used inthe method previously described.

Although this invention has been specifically described as treating copsof thread wound on perforated supports, it is to be understood that themethods above-described may be used to treat other packages of threadhaving hollow centers formed without supports (such as cheeses, cakes,etc), warp thread Wound on beams, and the like.

and the like, may be added to the alkalizing medium. Instead of causticsoda, other alkalis such as potassium hyroxide or ammonia may be used.The reagent which can be employed to esterify the alkalized cellulosecomprises a solution of-a carboxylic acid chloride such asbenzoylchloride or a sulpho-chloride such as ara-toluol-sulpho-chloride,benzosulpho-chlbride, ortho-toluol-sulpho-chloride, xylolandnaphthaline-sulpho-chlorides or the chlorine, bromine andnitroderivatives of all these compounds. Instead of organic acidchlorides, inorganic acid chlorides such as phosphorous trichloride,phosphorous oxychloride can also be employed.

For the solvent carbon tetra-chloride, a sulpho-chloride solvent, otherchlorinated hydrocarbons of the fatty series, hydrocarbons of thepetroleum series, benzol of its homologues may be used. Variousconcentrations may be used and satisfactory results have been obtainedwith solutions containing approximately 20% of the reagent.

The methods above-described eliminate the skeining and rewinding stepsheretofore deemed essential in the immunization of threads. Due to thefact that we immunize packages of threads, shrinkage of the threads isgreatly reduced.

r ince it is obvious that various modifications may be made byone'skilled in the art,

we do not intend to limit ourselves to the exact details above describedexcept as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A process of immunizing threads which comprises treating a package ofthread having a hollow center extending therethrough 1 3. A process ofimmunizing threads which comprises treating a package of thread with analkalizing medium, removing the -excess of said medium, applying anesterifying agent to said package under pressure, removing the excessofsaid esterifying agent, and pressure washing said package.

4. A process of immunizing threads which 5 comprises treating a packageof thread with an alkalizing medium, removing the excess of said medium,applying an esterifying agent to said package underpressure,centrifuging said package, and pressure washing said package.

5. A process of immunizing threads which comprises treating packages ofthread having centers permitting the passage of liquid radiallytherethrough with an alkalizing medium, removing the excess of saidmedium, arranging a plurality of said packages end to end with saidcenters in registration and forming a channel, supplying an esterifyingagent to said channel whereby said esterifying agent is caused to passradially through said packages, removing the excem of said esterifyingagent and pressure washing said packages.

' 6. A process of immunizing threads which comprises treating packagesof thread having centers permitting the passage of liquid radiallytherethrough with an alkalizing medium, removing the excess of saidmedium, alternately forcing an esterifying agent through said packagesand drawing it back again through said packages.

7. A process of immunizing threads which comprises treating packages ofthread having centers permitting the passage of liquid radiallytherethrough with an alkalizing medium, removing the excess of saidmedium, alternately forcing an esterifying agent through i said packagesand drawing it back again through said packages, removing the excess 0of said .esterifying agent and pressure washing said packages.

In testimony whereof, we have affixed our signatures to thisspecification.

' RUDOLPH BOEHRINGER. HANS WOLF.

